kemo46

Questions are good. The key is patience. It is weird not to be able to drink Water at will the first month or so but it returns to normal after that. I never got sick and have never thrown up once since I had the surgery. Once you find out the amount of food your sleeve will allow and you go over it, it is an awful feeling and it is a lesson learned. The key is have the surgery and start your healthy new life. I wish I would have had the surgery years ago, that is my only regret. I am as healthy now as I was in High School. You can do this. My main advice would be do extensive research and not just on the forums. Talk to the surgeons, talk to past patients and get their perspective and ask them alot of questions. Check with the Board of Medicine in Mexico on ACTUAL death rates. Believe it or not, everything you read on the internet is not factual.
Good Luck on your journey.

That is the most absurd quote I have ever read on any forum. There are some bad surgeons in Mexico just looking for a quick buck but trust me, there are some horrible surgeons in the U.S. as well. I can show you many world class surgeons in Mexico that practice at state of the art hospitals that have much more experience and a lower complication rate than many in the states.
The reason a lot of surgeons practice in Mexico is the ridiculous mal-practice premiums here in the states. Many of these surgeons in Mexico were actually educated in the states. I know two surgeons personally that teach and that have taught the VSG procedure to surgeons here in the states.
If you want to call out specific surgeons in a certain country based on facts, that is fine but to say that the whole country of Mexico have bad surgeons is just plain ignorant.

That is the most absurd quote I have ever read on any forum. There are some bad surgeons in Mexico just looking for a quick buck but trust me, there are some horrible surgeons in the U.S. as well. I can show you many world class surgeons in Mexico that practice at state of the art hospitals that have much more experience and a lower complication rate than many in the states.
The reason a lot of surgeons practice in Mexico is the ridiculous mal-practice premiums here in the states. Many of these surgeons in Mexico were actually educated in the states. I know two surgeons personally that teach and that have taught the VSG procedure to surgeons here in the states.
If you want to call out specific surgeons in a certain country based on facts, that is fine but to say that the whole country of Mexico have bad surgeons is just plain ignorant.

If you are having the surgery in the states, please get it in writing what it includes and what IT DOES NOT include. The hospital and OTHER doctors beside your surgeon usually have fees. The medication and tests as well. Sometimes 12,000 can turn into 16,000 real easy.
You need to also check the experience of the doctor. What I have found is if a doctor in the states is offering a good self-pay price, the experience is usually lacking. They can make a lot more if they bill insurance companies and usually BUT not always, the experienced doctors have plenty of business with insurance paying patients and do not have to offer deep discounts.
The other question to ask is how many SLEEVE surgeries have they performed. You will find here in the states, most doctors state they have done X-AMOUNT of weight loss surgeries because that includes lap-bands that they did 15 years ago and it sounds better than saying they have done 50 sleeves. I know several doctors in the Dallas area that this is the case.
Ask the right questions so there will be no surprises.

In the U.S. , the insurance companies run the show. If you do not believe me, have a procedure that the insurance only pays for 2 days and try to stay 3 and see how you are treated. If you have the money, it is no issue but the level of care and the attitude changes greatly once the cash cow runs dry. I just experienced this with a family member at a major hospital in Dallas.
I have two close family members that are Physicians, one a surgeon, the other an M.D.. I have learned a lot about how the medical profession is driven in the states. We have been trained to think that if the procedure is not approved in the U.S. , it cannot be good or safe. That is 100% incorrect. In order for a procedure to be approved in the U.S., it has to have a clinical trial to be approved by the FDA. This is nothing more than bribery. There are procedures that have been performed in other countries safely for many years that are still not approved in the U.S..
The bottom line is you cannot say a whole country has bad surgeons or bad health care, you can find both in all countries along with great surgeons. All you can do is research and make the best educated decision possible. People should not knock other surgeons in other countries unless it was their own personal experience. There is too much hearsay and false information being repeated. I had my procedure in Mexico and was treated very well. I know there are great surgeons here in the states as well. That is why I have never said anything negative about any surgeon in any country because of something I have read. If you were not there, you do not know the situation, period.
I agree with the poster on the socialized healthcare, who are we to talk down about another country's healthcare program, especially since ours is such a winner.

Thank you EJ for your educated post. It it beyond me how people can say there is not a great surgeon in the whole country of Mexico. Like I mentioned in another post, I know two surgeons personally that teach the procedures to U.S. Surgeons.
I guess some would think Peyton Mannning is stupid because he went to Europe to have his stem cell fusion done, he has all the money in the world. I would rather think he went to the most experienced doctor he could find which was not in the U.S. .
Thank you again for your post.

That is the most absurd quote I have ever read on any forum. There are some bad surgeons in Mexico just looking for a quick buck but trust me, there are some horrible surgeons in the U.S. as well. I can show you many world class surgeons in Mexico that practice at state of the art hospitals that have much more experience and a lower complication rate than many in the states.
The reason a lot of surgeons practice in Mexico is the ridiculous mal-practice premiums here in the states. Many of these surgeons in Mexico were actually educated in the states. I know two surgeons personally that teach and that have taught the VSG procedure to surgeons here in the states.
If you want to call out specific surgeons in a certain country based on facts, that is fine but to say that the whole country of Mexico have bad surgeons is just plain ignorant.

No doubt. This has been a life changer and actually saved my life. It reversed my Diabetes and I take no medication for anything. I have lost about 120 lbs. and hit my goal weight at 9.5 months from surgery. I am as healthy now as I was when I was a teen, probably healthier.

I normally would never disagree with a Doctor's advice but I do on this subject and this is why. A lot of Doctor's do not have training in nutrition or personal training. With that said, I would make sure you get cleared BY YOUR DOCTOR for exercise and weight lifting before you do it. You do not want to strain or tear any muscles that were affected during surgery. I was not cleared for exercise until 6 weeks after surgery and I took it very slow. I think waiting until you have acheived ALL of your weight loss before starting weight lifting is a bit conservative. I agree with Lissa, lifting has helped me as well with the saggy skin. I reached my goal 9.5 months out, if I would have waited that long to start lifting, I would look a mess.

I normally would never disagree with a Doctor's advice but I do on this subject and this is why. A lot of Doctor's do not have training in nutrition or personal training. With that said, I would make sure you get cleared BY YOUR DOCTOR for exercise and weight lifting before you do it. You do not want to strain or tear any muscles that were affected during surgery. I was not cleared for exercise until 6 weeks after surgery and I took it very slow. I think waiting until you have acheived ALL of your weight loss before starting weight lifting is a bit conservative. I agree with Lissa, lifting has helped me as well with the saggy skin. I reached my goal 9.5 months out, if I would have waited that long to start lifting, I would look a mess.

Lissa, you can build more muscle without the bodybuilder look. It will really fill out your lose skin, you will just look nicely toned without the bulk look. I will tell you this that the diet and supplements are a big part of the puzzle, not just exercise. It is a juggling act when you are still in the losing phase but want to build up. Once I reached my weight loss goal, I started to carb up before and after my workouts. Before to give me the extra energy for longer workouts and after so you burn fat, not muscle mass. I always have a 100% whey protein shake within 1/2 hour after each workout to help build muscle. Remember, you build muscle while at rest, not while working out. The best advice I would suggest has already been given, get a personal trainer even if only for a few sessions. I did this to maximize my time at the gym and it was well worth it. You are on the right track with cardio, you will never get enough cardio. Good luck.

Lissa, you can build more muscle without the bodybuilder look. It will really fill out your lose skin, you will just look nicely toned without the bulk look. I will tell you this that the diet and supplements are a big part of the puzzle, not just exercise. It is a juggling act when you are still in the losing phase but want to build up. Once I reached my weight loss goal, I started to carb up before and after my workouts. Before to give me the extra energy for longer workouts and after so you burn fat, not muscle mass. I always have a 100% whey protein shake within 1/2 hour after each workout to help build muscle. Remember, you build muscle while at rest, not while working out. The best advice I would suggest has already been given, get a personal trainer even if only for a few sessions. I did this to maximize my time at the gym and it was well worth it. You are on the right track with cardio, you will never get enough cardio. Good luck.

Lissa, you can build more muscle without the bodybuilder look. It will really fill out your lose skin, you will just look nicely toned without the bulk look. I will tell you this that the diet and supplements are a big part of the puzzle, not just exercise. It is a juggling act when you are still in the losing phase but want to build up. Once I reached my weight loss goal, I started to carb up before and after my workouts. Before to give me the extra energy for longer workouts and after so you burn fat, not muscle mass. I always have a 100% whey protein shake within 1/2 hour after each workout to help build muscle. Remember, you build muscle while at rest, not while working out. The best advice I would suggest has already been given, get a personal trainer even if only for a few sessions. I did this to maximize my time at the gym and it was well worth it. You are on the right track with cardio, you will never get enough cardio. Good luck.

Like some of the posters said, a Protein drink and DO have some carbs. I try to carb up before and after a workout for several reasons. Before gives me more energy to have a longer more productive workout without getting tired. I carb up right after a workout for the muscles. If you do not have the carbs, you will lose lean muscle, you do not want to do that. Remember, you build muscle while at rest, not while lifting. The carbs and protein give the muscle the fuel they need.
I know during the weight loss period we are very careful not to have too many carbs but I learned that while losing the weight, you want it to be fat you are burning , not muscle.

I will tell you this, lifting before 6 weeks is a VERY BAD idea. Not only does your stomach need time to heal but the muscle that they cut through does too. I researched this a lot and this is a no no. Nothing good can come from lifting too early and it is not worth the risk.

The warmup is very important. The other thing you might want to consider is increasing your carbs before your workout. My trainer told me when I started to experience headaches that not only will lack of carbs before a workout cause you to tire in the middle of your workout, it can also cause headaches. I took his advise and have not experienced it once since. My headaches were just regular, in the temple area, they were not migranes but it is something easy you can try.
Good luck.

The warmup is very important. The other thing you might want to consider is increasing your carbs before your workout. My trainer told me when I started to experience headaches that not only will lack of carbs before a workout cause you to tire in the middle of your workout, it can also cause headaches. I took his advise and have not experienced it once since. My headaches were just regular, in the temple area, they were not migranes but it is something easy you can try.
Good luck.

P90X is great but not for you in your situation. Start with walking and you need to do low impact if you have knee issues.

I learned many years ago to never judge other people, I had many vices myself. I used to drink but I found that was one vice that I replaced with going to the gym. After my surgery, I cannot even think of drinking or eating things that are not good for me. I work too hard at the gym to have things that are going to slow my progress of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I still go out with my friends, they have drinks, I have water. I do not miss alcohol at all and I used to love my beer and margs. As you lose the weight and move toward your goal, it is very hard to do things that will slow your progress, you too might find you do not have the urge to drink anymore. Good luck to you on your journey.

I think I coninue my workouts because of results. It is human nature to want to continue something if it is working and we can see tangible results. If I were to workout and not see the weight loss or the toning definition, I would have probably given up by now. I workout at least 5 times a week. I continue going because my results get better every week. I have been doing this since I was cleared after surgery, my surgery was 10 months ago. I have reached my weight loss goal, toned up and have very little loose skin. That is my motivation.

Your Birth certificate and driver's license is fine. You will not have any issues.

I just reached my goal a few days ago. It took me 9.5 months and I lost 116 lbs. I was very close 7 months out but those last few pounds took some time to get off. I probably could have lost more faster but I was concentrating on toning up and building muscle while I was losing weight. I think it was a success because I have very little loose skin. I do however still have some lower belly fat and lovehandles but they are a lot smaller now. I have gone from a 52 pant to a size 36 and a 4x shirt to large and medium size now.
Since I reached my goal, I am going to reassess the situation. I think I am going to get to somewhere between 190 and 195, I want to leave some room to build more muscle and not fluxuate more than 5 lbs. I will NEVER weigh 200 lbs. again.

I was starting to wonder if this day would ever come. I have reached my goal of 199 lbs. after 9.5 months. I did not think in a million years I would be in onederland once again. I have lost a total of 116 lbs and I am in better health now than when I was in my early twenties. My blood sugar has been normal since my surgery and all my blood numbers are in the normal range including my cholesterol which is 160. My blood pressure is normal and I take no medication of any kind. This is a NSV and a Scale victory all wrapped up in one. My sleeve has definately been a life changer for me.

I will tell you this from experience, borderline diabetes can become full blown diabetes in a heartbeat. This is not something to take lightly. I had my sleeve surgery less than 9 months ago and I have lost about 110 lbs and almost at my goal. I take no medication of any kind, it changed my life. I changed my diet, exercise every day and the sleeve has been the tool that made all of this happen. Diabetes attacks your organs and can cause amputations. This alone should make you decide to do something permanetly about your weight. Good luck on your decision.

I will tell you this from experience, borderline diabetes can become full blown diabetes in a heartbeat. This is not something to take lightly. I had my sleeve surgery less than 9 months ago and I have lost about 110 lbs and almost at my goal. I take no medication of any kind, it changed my life. I changed my diet, exercise every day and the sleeve has been the tool that made all of this happen. Diabetes attacks your organs and can cause amputations. This alone should make you decide to do something permanetly about your weight. Good luck on your decision.